Returning Hope
by cakesandkisses
Summary: After the battle Wyatt Cain searches for his son among the injured.He finds Jeb and a whole lot more. beta'd by my support system nawag1r ,is dedicated to her as well.Please read and review.JebxOFC.


Wyatt Cain scanned the injured for his son. He hadn't seen him since they hugged before the eclipse. Finally he spotted him in a cot. He released the breath he didn't know he was holding and raced to his son's side.

"Son," he breathed as he reached him.

"Father?" Jeb said drowsy. "Are you okay?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Bullet grazed my shoulder but I'm good. You?"

"It takes more than a bullet to bring me down." Cain showed his left arm that was now in a sling.

"We won?"

"Yes, son, we won."

"Jeb!" a young woman raced into the tent and flung herself at Jeb. "Are you alright? I told you not to get killed."

Jeb hugged the woman back and chuckled as he caressed her wavy, brunette locks. "I told you to go into hiding."

"And by now Jebediah you should know me better than that." She kissed his cheek softly.

Cain coughed causing the woman to notice him. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know my husband had company."

"Husband?!" Cain looked at his son.

Jeb blushed. "Well, Father, I didn't want to risk putting her life in jeopardy, I mean, if the witch captured you…"

"Father?! But I thought…"

Jeb caressed his wife's back. "I did too, but he's alive and here. In front of us."

The woman nearly cried as she worked her way over to Cain and gave him a big hug. "He told me so many stories about you. I feel I already know you."

Cain gently hugged back, still in shock of now not only having his son back but a daughter-in-law as well. "I am very happy to meet you, ummm…"

The woman pulled back. "Kayla. Kayla Cain." She noticed his wound. "You're hurt!"

"Minor bullet wound," Cain said.

"Minor?! ." Kayla pulled up a chair and shocked Cain when she forced him down on the chair. "If you're anything like your son you haven't taken anything ,have you? Wait here." She scurried off in search of painkillers.

Jeb grinned then looked at his father. "That's my Kayla. She may look like velvet but she's made of steel. Mother did small jobs for the Resistance. Rarely allowed me to help but I observed and learned. That's how I met Kayla. I was fourteen annuals old and we were walking back from one of her 'jobs'. I knew Kayla was the one the minute we met. She was lying on the road near death. She had no memory. Her hair was covered in blood from a head injury. I looked into her eyes and I was hers. Mother took her in. The daughter she never got to have with you. I married her at 18. Sent her away to safety while I worked up the ranks in the knowing if I'd see her again. We met up again at the cabin, the one on the other side of the canyon. Then mother was killed and Kay and I barely escaped. We didn't actually. We were both put in a suit but fellow Resistance soldiers passing saw us and let us out. I carried her suit back to the new camp. Placed it where I could see it. To remind me what I was fighting for. Her."

Cain looked down sadly. "I missed so much. Your wedding. So much."

"I got lucky," Jeb said.

Cain looked at him curious. "Lucky?"

"Had you not been a great man then mother and I would have never been on that road and there would be no Kayla. Now I have you both. Yes, I'm lucky," Jeb said then smiled weakly.

Cain sniffled. "You don't hate me?"

"Never. Hate the situations, yes, but you… I worship you."

"Adora always wanted more a girl. Kayla was…"

"Your mother's name. Kay couldn't even remember her own name and she latched on to mother like a magnet. Mother called her never really tried to find out her past. We offered but she said she was already home. And well Ma and I were too selfish to argue. "

Cain walked over and hugged Jeb. "I don't have grandchildren hiding under this cot, do I?"

Jeb laughed. "No but Kay has been wanting children for the past annual. I told her no. Not in the middle of a war. War's over now though. So unless you have more bullets with your name on them, I do believe you will not miss the arrival of your first grandchild."

"I just wish your mother…"

"I know but Kay is very spiritual and believes Mom watches over us."

Kayla walked back into the tent. "Got painkillers." She handed Cain some water and a pill.

"Oh yeah, she'll watch you like a hawk until she's sure you've taken it," Jeb stated.

"Learned that from Adora," Cain said.

Kayla nodded cheerfully. "Mhmm."

Cain swallowed it reluctantly as Jeb chuckled. Kayla turned to Jeb. "Your turn. The nurse told me you haven't taken your meds."

Jeb stopped laughing. "What?"

Cain snickered. "Be a good boy, son. Take your medicine." Jeb glared at Cain.

Kayla handed Jeb his pills. "Go on. Please. For me." She gave him the saddest look. Jeb sighed knowing this was a battle he wouldn't win and took his medicine.

Cain looked at the two and smiled. Oh, my dear Adora, you trained her well.

"Kay, not that I'm not happy to see you but you never did explain how you got here. You were supposed to head to Shiz." Jeb questioned his wife.

"You said to go to Shiz, but I never agreed I'd go to Shiz," Kayla answered as she sat beside him. Cain snorted as her response reminded him of two other women: Adora and DG.

"You never listen to me!" Jeb said furious. "How can I protect you if you never listen!?"

"I'll just be outside," Cain said as the couple continued to agrue.

"We'll protect each other! You can be so damn over protective sometimes. It's infuriating," Kay snapped back.

"Well you can be so stubborn!"

"Oh that's the pot calling the kettle black."

"That… that makes no… Did you just call me a pot?"

Kayla giggled. "I think so. You're so cute when your befuddled." Jeb blushed. "And when you blush."

"I'm not cute. I don't do cute."

"Okay then. Does sexy work?"

Jeb pulled his wife close. "Sexy works." He kissed her with a passion. "I just can't lose you, Kay."

"But you can't keep me on a leash either. I have to run free like you do."

Jeb frowned. He hated when she had a point. "Forgive me?"

"Of course. You can't help it that you're a man."

"You're real funny, Kay." He kissed her again before she could respond.

Cain stood outside reflecting on the past week since he had been released from the suit. So much had changed. Could he really be a part of this new Outer Zone.

"Mr. Cain? Is everything alright?"

Cain looked beside himself. DG. "Hey there. Where's your bodyguards?" he frowned. She'd escaped from them already.

"I was worried about you?" DG answered like that was supposed to explain everything.

"I found Jeb. He's wounded but fine. I have a daughter-in-law. She's perfect."

"Ohhh. Doesn't that suck when you meet someone new and you can't find anything to hate. Especially when the someone new is someone whom you now have to share somebody else with. I hate to say it but when I first met Jeb I was jealous. You had been my protector and it hit me that I couldn't have you around 24/7. I bet you hate me now."

"No. It makes you human and it's exactly what I'm going through now."

DG smiled "Is it okay for me to meet her?"

"Once they are done fighting, sure."

DG took a peek in the tent then quickly blushed as she hastily covered the flap. "I... I think they are in the making up part of fighting."

Cain chuckled at the embaressed princess. DG kept blushing. "The back of her head is very lovely."

Kay tried pulling back. "Your father is outside."

"Two months, 13 days, 5 hours...," Jeb answered before trying to claim her lips again.

"Well, my love, it will have to be at least two months and fourteen days if not longer." She could have sworn Jeb pouted at her words.

"I'm happy your father's alive. You look like you're on the road to peace. You've had such a burning hatred lately. It was consuming you. I tried to help but… I'm glad it's finally starting to die down," Kayla admitted.

"Me too, Kay. I'm sorry for being such an ass lately."

"For better or worse. I meant it."

"Well how about we start trying that 'better' part of the vow. I think we've endured a few lifetimes of the 'worse'." He kissed her as she nodded in agreement.

They heard an 'awww' from outside the tent and then a 'shush'. "Jeb, I think we have an audience," Kayla joked.

"Come in guys." Jeb said loudly.

DG entered first. "I'm sorry, but that was just made of cuteness. " Jeb and Kayla looked at her oddly. "Sorry, I forget O.Z. not Kansas. You guys are really cute together is what I meant. "

"Thank you, Your Highness," Jeb said.

"Your Highness?! Your Princess DG? Our saviour? Everyone's talking about you." Kayla began to bow but DG stopped her.

"Please don't. I'm nothing special. Your father-in-law helped a great deal. Can you please just call me DG?"

"Yes your… I mean, DG," Kayla corrected herself.

DG pulled Kayla into a hug. "I hope we can be good friends."

Kayla hugged back sensing no falseness in her words. "I hope so, too."


End file.
